► Student teachers ‘perceptions of teaching practice at the University Of Zululand Extensive research has been done on the importance of supervision of student teachers during…
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▼ Student teachers ‘perceptions of teaching practice at the University Of Zululand
Extensive research has been done on the importance of supervision of student teachers during teaching practice. The present study is a descriptive survey which sought to examine student teachers‟ perceptions of teaching practice. The sample comprised of 184 third year B.Ed students who had undergone teaching practice in 2013. To this end a questionnaire was constructed and validated through factor analysis technique by the researcher. The results revealed that student teachers hold favourable perceptions of teaching practice. The Kendall Coefficient of Concordance Wa yielded significant agreement among ranks assigned by student teachers to different teaching practice models. However there is a need for the improvement of the system of teacher education in order to prepare quality teachers. Some of the differences are the following: importance of preparing lesson plan as well as the pedagogical approach to presenting the lesson to learners. Most of the student teachers find it difficult in choosing and using teaching techniques and strategies that are suitable for the learners they teach. It is a given that there is no one strategy which can be implemented when imparting knowledge to the learners. However student teachers have to be exposed to those different strategies in order to be able to apply them depending on the lesson and the learners they are teaching. It can also be concluded that the perception of student teachers of teaching practice components of the lesson presentation is positive, irrespective of age and gender. Therefore the study has revealed that gender and age should not be necessarily concentrated on when students go out for teaching practice as reviewed by the findings. Based on the findings recommendations were made, among others, that the Faculty of Education should take into consideration the concerns of student teachers and address them before student teachers are sent to schools for teaching practice. This study is important in that it provides valuable information for the improvement of teaching practice when the perceptions of student teachers are acknowledged.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibaya, P.T (advisor), Nzima, D.R (advisor).

► This study was designed to explore how White secondary teachers? perceptions about their students of color impacted instruction in a successful, diverse school district. In…
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▼ This study was designed to explore how White secondary teachers? perceptions
about their students of color impacted instruction in a successful, diverse school district.
In order to develop more positive attitudes toward cultural groups different from their
own, teachers should be exposed to students of color and must look carefully at their
own attitudes and behavior in their classroom. Biases, prejudices, and socioeconomic
inequities continue to plague our nation?s schools. Teachers who are insensitive or
unfamiliar with the needs of multicultural students make learning difficult for them.
For this study, the district and four participants were purposefully selected. A
single high school was used for this case study. A purposive sample of four White
secondary teachers was interviewed and content analysis was conducted on the data.
The district studied had achieved academic success (closing the achievement
gaps) because of its focus on both the beliefs and instructional skills of its educators.
The adults believed they were responsible for student learning. Research participants
bonded with students and mentored them and expected all students to achieve at a high
level.
Advisors/Committee Members: Torres, Mario (advisor), Madsen, Jean (advisor), Sandlin, Judy (committee member), Kelly, Larry (committee member).

Benedict, R. M. (2014). A Case Study of White Secondary Teachers' Perceptions about Their Students of Color and the Impact on Instruction. (Thesis). Texas A&M University. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/152640

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

MLA Handbook (7th Edition):

Benedict, Rebecca Marie. “A Case Study of White Secondary Teachers' Perceptions about Their Students of Color and the Impact on Instruction.” 2014. Web. 21 Jan 2019.

Vancouver:

Benedict RM. A Case Study of White Secondary Teachers' Perceptions about Their Students of Color and the Impact on Instruction. [Internet] [Thesis]. Texas A&M University; 2014. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/152640.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Council of Science Editors:

Benedict RM. A Case Study of White Secondary Teachers' Perceptions about Their Students of Color and the Impact on Instruction. [Thesis]. Texas A&M University; 2014. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/152640

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

▼ Relatively few studies have specifically compared L2 teacher's perceptions of effective FL teaching with their own students (Beaudrie, Brown, Thompson, 2004; Brosh, 1996, Kern, 1995a). The current study explores FL teachers' and students' perceptions of FL teaching by analyzing matches between each group's perceptions. The principal objectives of this study were threefold: 1) the identification and comparison of post-secondary L2 students' and L2 teachers' perceptions of effective teaching behaviors on a Likert-scale questionnaire; 2) the comparison of students' and teachers' perceptions of how often specific teaching behaviors are performed; 3) the comparison of students' evaluations of teaching to their instructors' self-evaluations on a similar questionnaire. A secondary objective of the study was to compare students' responses on selected items from the university's TCE form with their responses on the discipline-specific questionnaires used in this study.Forty-nine teachers and their 83 intact beginning-level language classes (101-202) across nine languages at the University of Arizona voluntarily participated in the study during Spring semester, 2005. Participating students and teachers filled out questionnaires regarding perceptions of 1) what effective FL teachers should be doing in the classroom, 2) how often certain target behaviors are performed, and 3) how effective teachers perform them. An additional component of the study involved the comparison of the students' ratings on the language-teaching questionnaire with selected questions relative to teaching taken from the standard TCE form used university wide. Statistical analyses demonstrated that teachers and students, overall and by teacher, do have very different perceptions regarding FL teaching. Issues such as immediate error correction, task-based teaching, students' use of FL early on, use of pair and small-group work, and grammar teaching all reflected differing opinions between groups. Participants' responses to the use of English in testing, the importance of native-like command of the target language by the teacher, the simplification of the FL by the teacher, and the necessity of situating grammar into real-world contexts were similar. In summary, students and teachers seem to have dissimilar views on grammar teaching and communicative language teaching strategies with students favoring a grammar-based approach and teachers favoring a communicative FL classroom.
Advisors/Committee Members: Dupuy, Beatrice (committeemember), Wildner-Bassett, Mary (committeemember), Aleamoni, Lawrence M. (committeemember).

Brown, A. V. (2006). Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Teaching in the Foreign Language Classroom: A Comparison of Ideals and Ratings
. (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Arizona. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195302

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Brown, Alan Victor. “Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Teaching in the Foreign Language Classroom: A Comparison of Ideals and Ratings
.” 2006. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Arizona. Accessed January 21, 2019.
http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195302.

Brown AV. Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Teaching in the Foreign Language Classroom: A Comparison of Ideals and Ratings
. [Doctoral Dissertation]. University of Arizona; 2006. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195302

▼ Pragmatic competence is an essential component in communicative competence (Bachman & Palmer, 2010; Canale, 1983). Therefore, teaching pragmatic knowledge plays an important role in a foreign language curriculum, particularly in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL). However, there exists a lack of literature about the teaching of pragmatics with little empirical research on teachers’ perceptions and classroom practices at the tertiary level in Vietnam.
Informed by key constructs of three theories of symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1969; Mead, 1934), cross-cultural/intercultural pragmatics (Kecskes, 2004; 2011; 2012; Kecskes & Romero-Trillo, 2013; Wierzbicka, 2003), and critical approach to language teaching (Kachru, 1992a; 1992b; 1997; 2006; Kirkpatrick, 1995; 2006; 2011b; Pennycook, 1994; 1999), this case study of a Vietnamese university attempts to investigate teachers’ perceptions of pragmatics, their pragmatic teaching, and pragmatic content presented in textbooks and the curriculum.
Methods of data collection included questionnaire survey, interviews, focus group, classroom observations, and documents. Major findings include:
(a) teachers’ understanding of pragmatic knowledge and its teaching varied, although all of them recognised the vital importance of teaching pragmatic knowledge to enhance EFL students’ communicative competence;
(b) the way teachers taught pragmatic knowledge was influenced by how they learned pragmatics and their perceptions of pragmatics;
(c) there was a dearth of pragmatic knowledge presented in the analysed textbook; and
(d) teachers relied mostly on textbooks to teach pragmatics and encountered difficulties in teaching pragmatics because of their lack of pragmatic competence as well as methods to teach it.
The implications of the above are considered and recommendations are made regarding teachers’ perceptions of pragmatics and its teaching, approaches to teaching pragmatics in particular and teaching EFL in general in a Vietnamese university or a similar context, teacher training and development, and designing materials and tasks from the perspectives of symbolic interactionism, cross-cultural/intercultural pragmatics, and critical approach to language teaching.

Vu, N. M. (2017). Teaching pragmatics in English as a Foreign Language at a Vietnamese university: Teachers' perceptions, curricular content, and classroom practices
. (Thesis). University of Sydney. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16157

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Vu, Ngoc Minh. “Teaching pragmatics in English as a Foreign Language at a Vietnamese university: Teachers' perceptions, curricular content, and classroom practices
.” 2017. Thesis, University of Sydney. Accessed January 21, 2019.
http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16157.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Council of Science Editors:

Vu NM. Teaching pragmatics in English as a Foreign Language at a Vietnamese university: Teachers' perceptions, curricular content, and classroom practices
. [Thesis]. University of Sydney; 2017. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16157

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

University of New South Wales

6.
Mai, Chiem.
Pre-service teachers' perceptions about teaching speaking at high school in Vietnam.

► Although research on teacher cognition has become a well-established domain of inquiry for language teaching over the past few decades, very few in-depth case studies…
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▼ Although research on teacher cognition has become a well-established domain of inquiry for language teaching over the past few decades, very few in-depth case studies have explored teachers’ beliefs on their pedagogical practices in classrooms in an under-resourced EFL context like Vietnam, where overly large classes, poor equipment, inadequately trained teachers, time constraints and written grammar-focused examinations are the norm (Hoang, 2011; Le, 2011; Le, 2014; Nguyen, Fehring & Warren, 2015).The present qualitative case study seeks to occupy such a research space. Specifically, it aims to explore and understand the perceptions of a small group (N=8) of Vietnamese pre-service teachers, undertaking the same teacher education programme, about the teaching of speaking and how they go about teaching speaking in practice. It also aims to investigate what underlies the participants’ perspectives in order to gain insights into the factors that affect and shape their speaking instructional decisions in the classroom. Data obtained for this study were from multiple sources including semi-structured interviews, document analysis, classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews. Following a data-driven approach, themes were developed and used in analysis for drawing a constant comparison among the participants (Glaser & Strauss, 1999; Merriam, 2009). From analysis of the data, the findings of the study showed that the eight pre-service teachers strongly valued the learning of speaking and favoured communicative methods for the teaching of speaking. However, due to the influence of various contextual factors, for example, students’ low motivation for learning English for communication, teaching materials, large class-size and school teachers’ supervision, the participants’ stated perceptions appeared to diverge in practice. Although the findings of this research cannot be generalized beyond the context in which the data were collected, it contributes to academic understanding of teachers’ cognitions and their instructional strategies in practice in the context of Vietnam, and possibly in other similar contexts, and adds to studies in teacher cognition. Drawing on the findings of this study, implications for teacher education and language policy are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Burns, Anne, Education, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, UNSW.

Mai, C. (2016). Pre-service teachers' perceptions about teaching speaking at high school in Vietnam. (Doctoral Dissertation). University of New South Wales. Retrieved from http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/57064

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Mai, Chiem. “Pre-service teachers' perceptions about teaching speaking at high school in Vietnam.” 2016. Doctoral Dissertation, University of New South Wales. Accessed January 21, 2019.
http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/57064.

Mai C. Pre-service teachers' perceptions about teaching speaking at high school in Vietnam. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. University of New South Wales; 2016. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/57064.

Council of Science Editors:

Mai C. Pre-service teachers' perceptions about teaching speaking at high school in Vietnam. [Doctoral Dissertation]. University of New South Wales; 2016. Available from: http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/57064

► The following research portrays both students' and teachers' perceptions of a basal reading program. The participants for this study are four teachers and approximately…
(more)

▼ The following research portrays both students' and teachers' perceptions of a basal reading program. The participants for this study are four teachers and approximately 40 students from two 3rd and 4th grade classrooms. The participants took part in an observation session, survey, and interview. Throughout the study, both positive and negative qualities of a basal reading program were discussed and analyzed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Carole Pelttari.

► This qualitative study examined how technology has been integrated into a high‐achieving public high school. Although access to technology has significantly increased in K-12 schools…
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▼ This qualitative study examined how technology has
been integrated into a high‐achieving public high school. Although
access to technology has significantly increased in K-12 schools in
the last decade and half, an overwhelming body of research
indicates the actual usage in most classrooms to be of a low‐level
(i.e. administrative, skill‐drill, etc.) variety. The environment
created by typically teacher‐centered methods is made even more
potentially detrimental to student engagement and learning by the
fact most students are immersed in a rich digital world outside of
their schools. The study aimed to explore how one school identified
forms of and then integrated technologies into its classrooms, and
the study then gathered information on its perceived impact on
student learning, teacher instruction, and the overall school
climate. A survey of school staff, document analysis, interviews
with administrators and teachers, and classroom and campus
observations were triangulated in order to determine perceived
impacts of the school’s technology adoption efforts. The researcher
determined this one school’s efforts at technology integration were
made successful by its ability to keep technology a means rather
than a purpose, its ability to engage and empower all stakeholders,
and its strict adherence to the problem‐based learning
model.
Advisors/Committee Members: Gothold, Stuart E. (Committee Chair), Hocevar, Dennis (Committee Member), Green, Alan Gilford (Committee Member).

► The major aim of the study was to examine the perceptions of teachers toward student and parent evaluation of their performance inorder to identify some…
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▼ The major aim of the study was to examine the perceptions of teachers toward student
and parent evaluation of their performance inorder to identify some of the weaknesses and
finally recommend to the concerned authorities some plausible ways of alleviating the problems.
With this in light information was gathered through questionnaire and analysed using both
descriptive and inferential statistical tools.
The result indicated that teachers developed unfavourable perceptions toward the
current evaluation, particularly evaluation by parents. This is mainly because of their view that
evaluators are not competent, well oriented and trained to evaluate their values and merits.
Moreover the teachers believed that the evaluators are subjective and thus negatively affect their
evaluation results.
On the other hand, although teachers have favourable perceptions on the purpose of the
evaluation, they, however, indicated the irrelevance of the criteria of the evaluation to evaluate
the actual teaching-learning process. Besides, they viewed that the system of the evaluation
impairs teacher-student, and parent-teacher relationship on the one hand and the improvement
of instruction on the other hand.
Inspite of the fact that there are perception differences between teachers on student
evaluation of their performance, interms of teaching experience etc., there is no statistically
significant perception difference with regard to evaluation by parents. Similarly, promotion into
the next higher career level did not indicate perception difference toward the current evaluation
system.
The crux of the matter is that for a certain evaluation to be effective and meaningful, all
the parties and concerned authorities involved in the evaluation programme should be
collaborating in some systematic and meaningful way based on policies and procedures tailored
to local' circumstances. It is felt that a purposeful evaluation in which the involved parties
collaboratively work towards the effectiveness of learning but not anything else, will enable the
teachers to develop favourable perception towards evaluation of their performance.
Advisors/Committee Members: Dr. Yalew Ingidayehu, (advisor).

BERHANEMESKEL, K. (2012). TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MADE BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS IN GURAGE ZONE
. (Thesis). Addis Ababa University. Retrieved from http://etd.aau.edu.et/dspace/handle/123456789/3740

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

BERHANEMESKEL, KEBEDE. “TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MADE BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS IN GURAGE ZONE
.” 2012. Thesis, Addis Ababa University. Accessed January 21, 2019.
http://etd.aau.edu.et/dspace/handle/123456789/3740.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

MLA Handbook (7th Edition):

BERHANEMESKEL, KEBEDE. “TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MADE BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS IN GURAGE ZONE
.” 2012. Web. 21 Jan 2019.

Vancouver:

BERHANEMESKEL K. TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MADE BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS IN GURAGE ZONE
. [Internet] [Thesis]. Addis Ababa University; 2012. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: http://etd.aau.edu.et/dspace/handle/123456789/3740.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Council of Science Editors:

BERHANEMESKEL K. TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MADE BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS IN GURAGE ZONE
. [Thesis]. Addis Ababa University; 2012. Available from: http://etd.aau.edu.et/dspace/handle/123456789/3740

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

► Literature suggests there are many variables affecting student performance and that student perceptions of teacher expectations and self-efficacy are among those variables. Although much has…
(more)

▼ Literature suggests there are many variables affecting
student performance and that student perceptions of teacher
expectations and self-efficacy are among those variables. Although
much has been researched about the variables that influence student
achievement, little is known about the variables that help or
hinder Asian-American student performance in particular. A greater
understanding of the factors that specifically affect the academic
performance of Asian American students will help shed light on this
subgroup. ❧ Asian Americans have partially been overlooked due to
the fact that Asians fall under the model-minority stereotype (Lee,
1994), which suggests that Asian-American students are successful
in school because they work hard and come from cultures that
believe in the value of education. This stereotype indirectly
states that other ethnic cultures do not value education as much as
Asian cultures. Although Asian-American students are commonly
viewed as a model minority, Southeast Asian-American students do
not fit into the overarching view of academic success presented in
the model minority stereotype. The most predominant Southeast Asian
subgroups in the United States are Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian,
and Hmong, whereas East Asians include subgroups such as Korean,
Chinese, and Japanese. Southeast Asian-American students are often
tied in with all Asian-American students; however, there are
significant differences within sub-cultural Asian-American
populations that are widely unknown. ❧ This study explored
students’ perceptions of their teachers’ expectations and students’
perceptions of themselves. In this study, the term “self-efficacy”
is synonymous to a student’s perceptions of him/herself. The
purpose of the study was to examine Southeast Asian-American and
Latino student perceptions in terms of teachers’ expectations and
self-efficacy. In order to conduct this study, Southeast
Asian-American and Latino students at a continuation and a
traditional high school were surveyed on their perceptions of their
teachers’ expectations and their own self-efficacy. An in depth
look at the variables of Southeast Asian-American performance in
schools is limited, but should be included in the conversation of
ethnic subgroups.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hentschke, Guilbert C. (Committee Chair), Hocevar, Dennis (Committee Member), Mafi, Gabriela (Committee Member).

► The most powerful influence on student achievement is the classroom teacher and the most effective instructional strategy teachers can use to increase student learning…
(more)

▼ The most powerful influence on student achievement is the classroom teacher and the most effective instructional strategy teachers can use to increase student learning and achievement is effective feedback (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). The research on teacher feedback in kindergarten classrooms is scarce therefore this study helps reduce the void in the literature on the importance of teacher feedback in kindergarten classrooms.
The purpose of this study was to examine effective teachers’ perceptions of the amount and kind of feedback they provide to their students and to determine if their perceptions match the feedback they actually provide. The participants in the study were four teachers from a public elementary school in middle Tennessee. Each teacher received the rating of effective teacher according to their 2015-2016 state-wide teacher evaluation.
This study is based upon Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory which proclaims student learning can be increased when teachers provide the necessary support to complete a task at a level higher than their current level of functioning. Teacher feedback is an effective and efficient instructional strategy to bridge the gap between students’ actual level of understanding and the level required to become independently successful. It is important, therefore that teachers become knowledgeable of feedback that will encourage rather than discourage independent learning.
The qualitative design of this study included observing and analyzing teacher feedback during whole group instruction in kindergarten classrooms. The researcher collected data on four observed levels of teacher feedback: feedback about the task, feedback about the process, feedback about self-regulation and personal feedback about the self.
Teachers’ perceptions of the kinds of feedback they provide most frequently did not match observed levels of feedback. The participants perceived themselves to provide more feedback about the process and self-regulation which are the most effective levels of feedback to increase student achievement. Their perceptions did not match observed levels of feedback provided to their students.
The results of this study may be used as a catalyst for districts to provide professional development to instruct teachers how to effectively use the four levels of teacher feedback to increase student academic progress.

12.
Chia, Steven Puay Chong.
An investigation into student and teacher perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of information communications technologies to support digital forms of summative performance assessment in the applied information technology and engineering studies courses in Western Australia.

► This study investigated the connections between teachers’ and students’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to support assessment…
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▼ This study investigated the connections between teachers’ and students’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to support assessment in senior secondary courses in Western Australia, and the feasibility of such support in various forms. This investigation focused on the main characteristics of these perceptions, and attitudes and their relationships with curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and ICT. The findings provide guidelines for educators in using ICT to support summative performance assessment. My study was part of the main research study undertaken by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the Curriculum Council of Western Australia (CCWA) and will provides significant clarity into the implementation of ICT support for performance assessment employing practices which characterise practical performance in digital forms. It was in the range of teacher and student perceptions and attitudes that this study added knowledge to the practice of digital forms of assessment.
The overall intent was to design, cultivate and implement the best assessment task possible to measure the practical performance of students in Engineering Studies and Applied Information Technology (AIT). Therefore, it was also necessary to evaluate the feasibility of this task and factors that would affect feasibility such as perceptions and attitudes of particpants. To achieve this the study needed to gather data in various forms from a wide variety of sources that would allow triangluation of data analysis. Qualitative data were gathered from a student survey where a set of measurements scales were constructed. Quantitative data were assembled from observation and discussion with teachers before, during and after schools’ visits, from open-ended items in the student survey section and from teacher interview responses. In addition small groups of students were assembled into discussion forums and responses to a series of questions were recorded and analysed.
A number of critical thresholds had been reached to underpin the relevance and importance of research into aspects of the use of ICT to support summative assessment. Firstly the growth in access to, and improvements, in ICT services has enabled this emergent area of digital assessment or e-assessment (JISC, 2006). However, this growth is not sufficient justification for the investigation and implementation of digital forms of assessment. The research is justified when this growth in ICT is combined with the increasing use of ICT to improve pedagogical practices; the employment of ICT to improve productivity in education; and the need to effectively and efficiently assess the practical performance of students in a large number of contexts. It was likely that the development of techniques to represent student performance in digital forms would assist the addressing of these imperatives. Whether these techniques were successful would depend on a number of influences including the attitudes and perceptions of students and teachers.
When…

Chia, S. P. C. (2016). An investigation into student and teacher perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of information communications technologies to support digital forms of summative performance assessment in the applied information technology and engineering studies courses in Western Australia. (Thesis). Edith Cowan University. Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1806

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

MLA Handbook (7th Edition):

Chia, Steven Puay Chong. “An investigation into student and teacher perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of information communications technologies to support digital forms of summative performance assessment in the applied information technology and engineering studies courses in Western Australia.” 2016. Web. 21 Jan 2019.

Vancouver:

Chia SPC. An investigation into student and teacher perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of information communications technologies to support digital forms of summative performance assessment in the applied information technology and engineering studies courses in Western Australia. [Internet] [Thesis]. Edith Cowan University; 2016. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1806.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Council of Science Editors:

Chia SPC. An investigation into student and teacher perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of information communications technologies to support digital forms of summative performance assessment in the applied information technology and engineering studies courses in Western Australia. [Thesis]. Edith Cowan University; 2016. Available from: http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1806

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Queens University

13.
O'Shea, Karen.
Students' Experiences and Teachers' Perceptions of Student Belonging in One Elementary School
.

► Belonging is a fundamental human need and this need is universal (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). How a student perceives their own belonging within a school…
(more)

▼ Belonging is a fundamental human need and this need is universal (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). How a student perceives their own belonging within a school and classroom can be predictive of their future engagement, motivation, achievement, and success of their interpersonal relationships. Students who feel connected are found to be less likely to engage in risky behaviours, be absent from school, or drop out of school entirely (Nichols, 2006; Anderman, 2003). Recent research on belonging has sought to examine the relationship between belonging and its outcomes on student behaviour (Anderman, 2003; Clegg, 2006; Goodenow, 1993; Ma, 2003; Osterman, 2000). There is an increasing need for belonging research to examine the development and incidence of belonging in children at school (Johnson, 2009; Osterman, 2000). This study has three research questions: a) What are students’ experiences with belonging in the school? b) What are teachers’ perceptions of students’ belonging in the school? c) How do the students’ experiences and teachers’ perceptions of student belonging in the school compare? The comparison of teachers’ and students’ responses will provide more information as to whether the students’ experiences and teachers’ perceptions of student belonging are aligned or if they are disparate. This data will make it possible to begin to target specific belonging factors in school programs and teacher practices.

► This study employed a survey design. 5,000 special education teachers were sampled across the nation to determine their perceptions of knowledge of substance abuse, and…
(more)

▼ This study employed a survey design. 5,000 special education teachers were sampled across the nation to determine their perceptions of knowledge of substance abuse, and instructional and behavioral management skills to address students with disabilities who are abusing substances. The following research questions were addressed: (a) What are special education teachers’ perceptions of substance abuse intake among their students; (b) What are special education teachers’ perceptions of their knowledge of different substance abuse areas; (c) What are special education teachers’ perceptions of their classroom knowledge in addressing instructional and behavioral management issues of special education students abusing substances; (d) Are there differences in the teachers’ perceptions of their substance abuse knowledge and related classroom pedagogy skills across: (i) school levels kindergarten/elementary, middle, high school), (ii) school locations (rural, urban, suburban), and (iii) teacher disability assignment (as determined by their students’ primary disability).
Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) repeated measures, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that although special educators perceive their students abuse substances, they think it is only by a small percentage of students. Significant differences were noted in the teachers’ perception of knowledge in the six substance abuse areas assessed. Significant differences of the teachers’ perceptions of knowledge were also noted across school locations and teacher disability assignments. Future studies should focus on conducting more extensive research in this limited area of study.
Advisors/Committee Members: Vaughn, Sharon, 1952- (advisor), Velasquez, Mary (committee member), Bryant, Diane (committee member), Rieth, Herb (committee member), Svinicki, Marilla (committee member).

► The goal of teacher preparation programs is to equip future secondary mathematics teachers for the broad spectrum of mathematical learners they will encounter. Part of…
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▼ The goal of teacher preparation programs is to equip future secondary mathematics teachers for the broad spectrum of mathematical learners they will encounter. Part of that process includes developing their Specialized Content Knowledge, defined by Ball, Hill, and Bass (2005) as a deeper understanding of mathematics that allows teachers to explain new ideas, work problems in multiple ways, and analyze student solutions. This study examined the development of Specialized Content Knowledge among secondary mathematics pre-service teachers. Forty-seven pre-service teachers completed a demographic survey and an assessment measuring Specialized Content Knowledge. Twenty-three of those pre-service teachers were then interviewed to further illuminate experiences that influenced their responses on the assessment, and to elaborate on experiences that they identified as helping them develop Specialized Content Knowledge. Qualitative analysis revealed two broad categories aiding in the development of Specialized Content Knowledge: coursework and interactions with learners. Within the category of coursework, pre-service teachers highlighted course components that were also related to interactions with learners, often in a hypothetical way (e.g., analyzing fictional student work). Findings indicate that the development of Specialized Content Knowledge is strongly influenced by interactions with learners, both face to face and hypothetical. These results are discussed along with recommendations for practice and future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jennifer Luebeck (advisor).

► Co-teaching as an inclusive educational model is a new approach in Greece which aims to support the inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN)…
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▼ Co-teaching as an inclusive educational model is a new approach in Greece which aims to support the inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools. This research aimed to investigate and evaluate co-teaching practices as well as teachers’ and students’ with SEN perceptions with regard to co-teaching. This research adopted a mixed methodology in two independent phases in order to address the needs of the study. Namely, 140 teachers were surveyed and multiple case studies of five different secondary co-taught classrooms were incorporated. This study showed that the way co-teaching is implemented in Greek secondary schools is closer to the model of “one teach-one assist”. Specifically, co-teachers saw the general teacher as responsible for all children, while the special teacher as responsible for an individual child with SEN included in a mainstream classroom. Thus, limited special teacher role expansion to all children was observed. The study showed that the general teachers were more negative about the sharing of various classroom responsibilities compared to the special teachers. Moreover, the approach of children’s withdrawal out of class was implemented to a significant extent. According to the research findings it was largely the special teachers who preferred this integrated approach and not the general teachers. Also, limited differentiation and grouping methods were used by co-teachers. In addition, this study indicated that co-teaching pairs did not collaborate with each other in an extensive way and did not commonly plan lessons together. Thus, teacher participants were quite sceptical in relation to the potential personal benefits of co-teaching to themselves. This study showed teacher training in co-teaching, teachers’ sensitivity and positive attitudes towards children with SEN, collaboration between co-teachers and mutual planning time, clear and official allocation of co-teaching roles and special teachers employment at the beginning of the academic year were all regarded as factors which would facilitate the successful implementation of co-teaching. Interestingly, the present study revealed that from the perspectives of both teachers and children with SEN the model of “one teach-one assist” seemed to have positive academic outcomes to children with SEN. However, the model of “one teach-one assist” seemed to have not only positive but also negative social and personal outcomes for children with SEN. From the perspective of some teachers and children with SEN respondents it seems that the model of “one teach-one assist” limited the social interactions of some children with SEN and interrelationships with the remaining children, which was due to sitting next to them during the lesson time and escorting them during the break time. Moreover, children with SEN did not see that co-teaching resulted in their social skills development. As a result some children with SEN expressed their unwillingness to be supported by a special teacher during the following academic year. Among…

Xanthopoulou, P. (2017). Co-teaching/co-education in Greek secondary mainstream classrooms, from the perspective of co-teachers and children with special educational needs. (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Exeter. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10871/32458

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Xanthopoulou, Pinelopi. “Co-teaching/co-education in Greek secondary mainstream classrooms, from the perspective of co-teachers and children with special educational needs.” 2017. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Exeter. Accessed January 21, 2019.
http://hdl.handle.net/10871/32458.

MLA Handbook (7th Edition):

Xanthopoulou, Pinelopi. “Co-teaching/co-education in Greek secondary mainstream classrooms, from the perspective of co-teachers and children with special educational needs.” 2017. Web. 21 Jan 2019.

Vancouver:

Xanthopoulou P. Co-teaching/co-education in Greek secondary mainstream classrooms, from the perspective of co-teachers and children with special educational needs. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Exeter; 2017. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/32458.

Council of Science Editors:

Xanthopoulou P. Co-teaching/co-education in Greek secondary mainstream classrooms, from the perspective of co-teachers and children with special educational needs. [Doctoral Dissertation]. University of Exeter; 2017. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/32458

► ABSTRACT This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study focused on pre-K co-teachers’ perceptions of co-teaching, the similarities and differences between special and general education co-teachers’ perceptions…
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▼ ABSTRACT
This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study focused on pre-K co-teachers’ perceptions of co-teaching, the similarities and differences between special and general education co-teachers’ perceptions of co-teaching, and the elements of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977) related to the implementation of the co-teaching model. Analysis of thePerceptions of Co-Teaching Survey (PCTS) completed by34 pre-K special and general education co-teachers served as the quantitative component of the study and was complemented by a constant comparative analysis (Charmaz, 2006) of focus groups with eight co-teachers.
The integrated findings revealed that both special and general co-teachers had moderately positive perceptions of their co-teaching experiences that were nurtured by their professional interpersonal relationships and influenced by the distinctive nature of pre-K classrooms. High self-efficacy influenced co-teachers’ motivation and confidence in order to persevere during challenges experienced. Overall, co-teachers recognized the importance of effective verbal communication as key to successful co-teaching experiences and desired personalized professional learning opportunities to guide and improve their co-teaching experiences. Implications for administrators, teacher educators, and co-teachers were discussed and recommendations for future research offered.
Advisors/Committee Members: Diane Truscott, Ph.D., Peggy Gallagher, Ph.D., Judith Emerson, Ph.D..

► Second language (L2) teacher cognition has in recent years attracted the attention of an increasing number of researchers. While much L2 teacher cognition research…
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▼ Second language (L2) teacher cognition has in recent years attracted the attention of an increasing number of researchers. While much L2 teacher cognition research focuses on the teaching of grammar (e.g. Phipps & Borg, 2009), L2 writing teacher cognition has received considerably less attention. It has, however, been suggested that L2 writing teachers’ perceptions of themselves as writers (Casanave, 2004) and as language learners may play a crucial role in their decision making as teachers of L2 writing. In an attempt to address this gap in the L2 teacher cognition literature, this study investigates English as a second language (ESL) writing teachers' beliefs about themselves as language learners and as writers in their first and/or second language(s). The purpose is to discover how ESL writing teachers’ beliefs about and practice of teaching L2 writing are influenced by their experiences in writing in their first and/ or second languages. Three native (NES) and two non-native English-speaking (NNES) teachersteaching L2 writing took part in the study. During a 15-week semester, their ESL writing classes were periodically observed and audio-recorded. Additionally, each teacher was interviewed two times using stimulated recall regarding both their classroom instructional practices and instruction provided in the margins of student papers. Findings revealed that, language learning in general was an important contributor to both NNES and NES teachers’ cognitions. Even NES teachers who were not advanced in their respective second and/or additional languages still referred to their language learning experiences. The NNES teacher participants also commented that they sometimes had to step out of their own language experience in order to better help their students. Results also indicated that L2 writing teachers without advanced L2 literacy skills were influenced primarily by their L1 writing experiences. L2 writing teachers with advanced L2 literacy skills, however, were greatly influenced by their L2 writing experience. In all of the cases, being an advanced writer, whether in their L1 or L2s, was an important contributor to L2 writing teachers’ cognitions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Diane D. Belcher, Stephanie Lindemann, John M. Murphy, Tony Silva.

► Activities represent a fundamental instrument for teaching English as a Foreign Language in the classroom. All activities without exception carry a specific explicit and/or implicit…
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▼ Activities represent a fundamental instrument for teaching English as a Foreign Language in the classroom. All activities without exception carry a specific explicit and/or implicit teaching load that favours the development of specific L2 knowledge features. Whereas there are activities whose primary goal is the explicit and implicit teaching of declarative knowledge on the forms of language (e.g. form-focused instruction activities), other activities explicitly or implicitly foster the proceduralization and automatization of L2 knowledge (e.g. meaning-focused instruction activities). Inasmuch as teachers’ selection of EFL activities is paramount for the balanced development of the L2 in terms of declarative and procedural knowledge, L2 instructors should demonstrate a good command of the explicit and implicit teaching potential of real activities.
Objective
Given the lack of studies –to my knowledge– attempting to objectively measure EFL teachers’ understanding of the construct of explicit and implicit teaching, the objective of the present dissertation was to analyze EFL teachers’ perceptions of the explicit and implicit teaching potential of authentic textbook activities. To attain such an aim, two major tasks were undertaken: a) the development of a corpus of real EFL textbook activities; and b) the design of a scale to examine EFL teachers’ perceptions of the explicit and implicit teaching load of the activities.
Method
Firstly, for the compilation of a corpus of activities to explore EFL teachers’ perceptions, 681 activities were randomly extracted from 16 EFL textbooks published between 1985 and 2011. After the selection process, the activities were codified and categorized regarding their explicit and implicit teaching potential by three expert judges. There were two types of activities: Type I (mostly explicit or implicit) and Type II (mixed potential). This categorization revealed both very high intra-rater reliability (computed with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient) and inter-rater reliability between the judges for each of the items of the scale (computed with Fleiss’ Kappa’s coefficient).
Secondly, in order to design an instrument to explore EFL teachers’ perceptions of the activities’ teaching load, a questionnaire was elaborated. It had four major sections. The first one requested descriptive socio-demographic and academic data from the informants. The second part informed the participants about the purpose of the research being conducted. The third section included three sample activities already analyzed and which respectively showed full explicit potential, full implicit teaching potential and mixed teaching potential. Lastly, the fourth part included a battery of 30 activities for EFL teachers to analyze from the perspective of their explicit and implicit teaching potential.
The instrument used for measuring the activities’ teaching load was an adaptation of Criado et al.’s (2010) scale, which consisted of 9 different items worded as involving explicit teaching, thus their opposites…
Advisors/Committee Members: [email protected] (authoremail), false (authoremailshow), Sánchez Pérez, Aquilino (director), Criado Sánchez, Raquel (director), true (authorsendemail).

► The notion of inclusion is not a simple matter to define. It will mean different things to different people at different occasions. In school, inclusive…
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▼ The notion of inclusion is not a simple matter to define. It will mean different things to different people at different occasions. In school, inclusive education, may relate to a democratic view, meaning that all students should have the same opportunities and rights to participate in the mainstream educational schooling, on equal terms. In the current school political debate, the term “inclusive education” has gained a significant position and can relate to students’ grades in school subjects. The awareness of inclusion partly comes from critical reflections about how schools are handling the diversity amongst students.
This thesis is part of a national research and school improvement program dealing with inclusive learning environments for students in the compulsory school. The aim of the study is to contribute with knowledge concerning teachers’ conceptions about lesson planning and teaching from a student inclusive perspective. Focus is on teachers’ perceptions of the multifaceted teaching in heterogeneous classes where the diverse qualifications of the students bring different challenges.
The study contains two empirical investigations. The first one has a quantitative methodological approach, using a web-based questionnaire directed to all teachers, whose schools take part in the national program. The second study has a qualitative research design and the empirical data contains a case study with informants from three schools that also participated in the program.
The theoretical analysis, based in a pragmatic understanding, is performed through Biesta’s dimensions of the aim of education; Uljens’ model for analyzing didactic action, Hedegaard-Sørensen’s approach on situated professionalism and Tomlinson’s perspective on differentiation of teaching as a basic pedagogical principle.
The results show that teachers hold a positive attitude to the idea of inclusion. Mediating knowledge, in an inclusive teaching context, is regarded as an important but also as a difficult task to carry through during lessons. The teachers experience a dilemma when teaching-balance is requested between single students’ needs and the interest of the class as a whole. Differentiated teaching, taking into consideration the students’ diverse ways of learning, is conceived as an important aspect from a student inclusive perspective. The results also show that collegial collaboration, before as a well as during and after completed lessons, is regarded as a valuable aspect for the inclusive didactic lesson planning and lesson work to be successful.

► The purpose of this study was to generate in-depth understanding and descriptions of secondary students' experiences of safety in the public schools. Quantitative research has…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to generate in-depth understanding and descriptions of secondary students' experiences of safety in the public schools. Quantitative research has demonstrated that students self-report feeling unsafe in school (Utah State University: Center for the School of the Future, 2006). School violence is decreasing, yet many school districts have sponsored and implemented heightened security measures. It seems a contradiction, but amidst heightened security secondary public school students self-report feeling unsafe in school. This study investigated this phenomenon to provide rich and detailed data, utilizing a grounded theory approach to qualitative research and design. The perceptions and experiences of secondary students in public school were described in focus groups comprised of eighth grade students. Five central and unifying themes emerged from the data informing how and why secondary students feel safe and unsafe in school. Results indicated that students feel most safe in schools when students have trusting relationships with school personnel and peers and when school adults adhere to procedures and policies and respond in meaningful ways to student concerns.

► Research from the fields of psychology and education suggests that a student’s mindset (beliefs about their intelligence or ability) has a tremendous impact on their…
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▼ Research from the fields of psychology and education suggests that a student’s mindset (beliefs about their intelligence or ability) has a tremendous impact on their setting of goals, reactions to setbacks and failures, and academic performance (Aronson, Fried, & Good, 2002; Blackwell, Trzensiewski, & Dweck, 2007; Dweck, 2000; Dweck, 2006; Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht, 2003; Good, Rattan, & Dweck, 2012; Hong, Chiu, Dweck, Lin, & Wan, 1999). It has also been found that teachers’ mindsets do not necessarily predict their students’ mindsets, namely because teachers do not always teach in ways that align with their mindset. Instead, their beliefs about the nature of mathematics have been found to predict student mindset (Sun, 2015). This may be because if teachers believe that mathematics is a subject of creativity and sense making (a multidimensional belief), they are more likely to teach in ways that emphasize conceptual development and reasoning (practices that convey a growth mindset to students), no matter their personal mindset. Whereas if teachers believe mathematics is more about the rote learning of facts and procedures (a one dimensional belief), they will present it as such (practices that convey a fixed mindset to students). The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between pre-service mathematics teachers’ beliefs and the mindset messages conveyed through their assessment practices. The study focuses on two beliefs: (1) beliefs about mathematics and (2) beliefs about ability (mindset); and three assessment practices: (1) the assessments pre-service teachers create, (2) the feedback they provide students on those assessments, and (3) the next steps they propose after analyzing student performance on the assessment.
Using a mixed-methods approach, this study combines a beliefs survey with an in-depth examination of assessments, and accompanying commentaries, submitted by six pre-service mathematics teachers. Assessments and commentaries were evaluated to determine the degree to which the described (and displayed) practices conveyed growth mindset messages, accomplished through the use of pre-existing rubrics created for the educative Teacher Preparation Assessment (edTPA), along with principles of grounded theory and the research on teaching practices that promote growth mindsets in students.
Results suggested that having a growth mindset had some relation to pre-service teachers’ (1) planning of growth mindset assessments, (2) use of multiple representations in assessments, and (3) providing of feedback related to students’ efforts. Whereas pre-service teachers with fixed mindsets appeared to leave (1) more technical feedback and (2) more feedback overall. Additionally, stronger multidimensional views appeared more related to the pre-service teachers’ (1) planning of growth mindset assessments, (2) use of multiple representations in assessments, (3) praising a student’s use of a solution method or property, (4) attempting a “strengths-needs” feedback structure, and (5) allowing…

► Research shows that racism is still prevalent in schools today. This qualitative study using a phenomenological design identified different forms of racism in schools and…
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▼ Research shows that racism is still prevalent in schools today. This qualitative study using a phenomenological design identified different forms of racism in schools and the impact racism has on students and teachers. The study identifies the perceptions 9th-12th grade minority students and high school teachers have regarding racism, and compares and contrast those perceptions in a rural Georgia high school. Participants were selected from a pool of approximately 103 ethnic minority high school students and 68 high school teachers. The participants were selected through purposeful sampling due to ones minority status or employment status. Surveys, individual interviews, and journaling were the data collection methods used in the study. The Social Identity Theory (SIT) was the theoretical framework used when examining data and uncovering themes. The study showed that 28 of the minority students and three non-minority teachers were impacted by racism. The above numbers prove there is a discrepancy between minority student and teacher perceptions of racism. The study describes how racism exists within the school under study. Findings include the affect racism plays on self-esteem, academics, and racial bullying. Suggestions for future studies are also included.

Boomer, P. S. (2011). Perceptions of High School Minority Students and High School Teachers Regarding Racism: A Phenomenological Study. (Doctoral Dissertation). Liberty University. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/429

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Boomer, Paige Shiver. “Perceptions of High School Minority Students and High School Teachers Regarding Racism: A Phenomenological Study.” 2011. Doctoral Dissertation, Liberty University. Accessed January 21, 2019.
http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/429.

MLA Handbook (7th Edition):

Boomer, Paige Shiver. “Perceptions of High School Minority Students and High School Teachers Regarding Racism: A Phenomenological Study.” 2011. Web. 21 Jan 2019.

Vancouver:

Boomer PS. Perceptions of High School Minority Students and High School Teachers Regarding Racism: A Phenomenological Study. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Liberty University; 2011. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/429.

Council of Science Editors:

Boomer PS. Perceptions of High School Minority Students and High School Teachers Regarding Racism: A Phenomenological Study. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Liberty University; 2011. Available from: http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/429

Texas A&M University

24.
Lee, Jin Hee.
Mathematics Classroom Activities of Selected East Asian and Non-Asian Countries From the Views of Teachers and Students.

► East Asian countries have achieved high levels of mathematics competency. This study investigated classroom activities of East Asian countries based on the idea that different…
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▼ East Asian countries have achieved high levels of mathematics competency. This study investigated classroom activities of East Asian countries based on the idea that different learning experiences lead to gaps in academic outcomes.
The main purposes of this study were: (1) to identify the features of classroom activities in the four East Asian countries of Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea and the two non-Asian countries of Hungary and England, (2) to determine whether or not there are predominant features of classroom activities shared in East Asia, and (3) to verify whether or not the perceptions of classroom activities between teachers and students are consistent with each other.
The data was gathered from the Student Questionnaire and the Teacher Questionnaire in TIMSS 2007. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square tests were employed to examine classroom activities in the six countries. The results indicated that, compared to traditional mathematics activities, the activities related to reform mathematics were not more likely to be deemphasized in each East Asian country. Also, with respect to reformed mathematics activities, all East Asian countries did not necessarily emphasize them less than the two non-Asian countries. Furthermore, in the frequencies of all ten activities, statistically significant differences existed between all six countries as well as within the East Asian countries. Lastly, it was found that in numerous instances, there were differences in perceptions of classroom activities between teachers and students within a country.
Based on the findings, this study suggested not to regard educational practice in East Asia as traditional and to over-simplify it by the label 'East Asian style.' However, further studies are needed on various aspects of classroom practice, except for classroom activities, in East Asia. In addition, this study argued that both the views of students and teachers should be considered together in the study for educational practice. Moreover, it is suggested that future studies investigate the relationships of discrepancies between teachers and students with students' learning and achievement.
Advisors/Committee Members: Li, Yeping (advisor), Capraro, Mary M. (committee member), Hall, Robert J. (committee member).

► The aim of this study was to describe the perceptions of the secondary school teachers regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools.…
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▼ The aim of this study was to describe the perceptions of the secondary school teachers
regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools. Therefore, I have
followed quantitative methodology, with data being collected by applying a questionnaire to
90 participants who are Lao secondary school teachers in Vientiane Capital, Laos. The results
obtained in this study were presented based on descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as
in the form of conclusion and recommendations.
The perceptions of the participants in this study led me to conclude that: 1) Most
participants would like students with disabilities to be educated in special schools; 2) Most of
the teachers considered that the placement of a student with disability into a regular
classroom would be disruptive to students without disabilities; 3) Most of the participants
indicated that inclusion in the regular classrooms would have a positive impact on both the
academic progress and social progress of the students with disabilities; 4) The participants
who lacked background information regarding teachingstudents with disabilities had
negative attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools; 5)
Female participants had greater positive attitudes to the benefits of the inclusion of students
with severe disabilities into regular classes than male participants; 6) The participants
teaching in urban schools had positive attitudes toward the benefits of inclusion of students
with disabilities into regular classes and to the families of students with disabilities; 7)
Teachers with training about teachingstudents with disabilities had more positive attitudes in
relation to the education of students with disabilities into regular classrooms; and 8) Internal
consistency reliability computed by means of Cronbach’s Alpha for the questionnaire was 0.84.
Advisors/Committee Members: Martins, Ana Paula Loução (advisor), Santos, Anabela Cruz dos (advisor).

Teaching sex education to students with Special Needs Education is still a forbidden subject in society. Regarding individuals with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), their impairments in communication, social interaction and language skills causes some issues in teachers. So, it´s important to develop sex education programs with ASD students, taking into account society´s and students characteristics. Thus, this study aims at knowing teachersperceptions regarding sex education to students with ASD. This study’s intentions are understand how sex education is taught to ASD students and teachers’ perceptions regarding sex education, sexual behavior and conversations of these students.
This is a qualitative investigation, aimed at to studying teachers in their natural environment and at colleting teachers’ meanings, through semi-structured interview. Twelve teachers from an Setúbal county school were interviewed.
Results point out students with ASD access sex education with regular students. Nevertheless, contrarily to literature, teachers claim that there are no differences between sex education directed to ASD and…

► The purpose of this case study was to explore first and second grade teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of African American Language (AAL) and its speakers,…
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▼ The purpose of this case study was to explore first
and second grade teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of African
American Language (AAL) and its speakers, as well as implementation
of instructional practices for supporting African American students
whose first language is AAL, a form of Ebonics, in acquiring
proficiency in SAE and accessing the school curriculum. Using
sociocultural theory and language theories as the conceptual
framework, the researcher examined classrooms for discourses and
practices that reflected an acknowledgement and respect for the
role of language and culture in African American students’
opportunities to learn. ❧ This qualitative study used interviews,
observations, and analysis of teachers’ feedback on African
American students’ writing from first and second grade teachers.
Triangulating these forms of data informed the researcher about
teachers’ perspectives, knowledge, and interactions with speakers
of AAL. Data analysis revealed that teachers in this study did not
have a firm understanding of AAL and its cultural and linguistic
features. Additionally, classroom discourses did not allow
opportunities for African American students to use AAL or for
students, in general, to use language to construct knowledge.
Teachers’ instructional practices and their responses to interview
questions demonstrated limited knowledge of AAL and few instances
of building on African American students’ home language as a tool
for learning. ❧ The study identified important implications for
educators and educational leaders. There is a need for on-going
professional development about AAL and instructional practices that
enable educators to meet the needs of AAL speakers. Educators who
have an understanding and knowledge of AAL and its cultural
features are better equipped to instruct students in ways that
validate and support the culture and language of speakers of AAL
for positive learning outcomes.
Advisors/Committee Members: Rousseau, Sylvia G. (Committee Chair).

Suh, R. (2015). First and second grade teachers' knowledge and perceptions
about African American language speakers. (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Southern California. Retrieved from http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15799coll3/id/551428/rec/2821

Suh R. First and second grade teachers' knowledge and perceptions
about African American language speakers. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Southern California; 2015. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15799coll3/id/551428/rec/2821.

Council of Science Editors:

Suh R. First and second grade teachers' knowledge and perceptions
about African American language speakers. [Doctoral Dissertation]. University of Southern California; 2015. Available from: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15799coll3/id/551428/rec/2821

University of Houston

29.
Barrio, Juan.
TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT HOW AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF COMPENSATION AFFECTED THEIR TEACHING PRACTICE.

►Teachers have historically been paid using a single salary schedule. However, since the publication of A Nation at Risk (1983), calls for implementing reforms have…
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▼Teachers have historically been paid using a single salary schedule. However, since the publication of A Nation at Risk (1983), calls for implementing reforms have led to alternative pay for teachers becoming increasingly common among districts across the nation. Such implementations have seldom been accompanied by input from teachers about how such methods affect their profession. Since teacher’s voice seems to remain almost absent in research about these implementations, with a few exceptions noted in the literature review, their input about how such methods of alternative compensation impact their work as educators emerge as a necessity. Research-based knowledge must fill this need.
The purpose of the study was to measure teachers’ perceptions about how an alternative method of compensation has affected their teaching practice, motivation, and collaboration. The study sought to describe patterns of relationships between the perceptions of teachers about the impact on teaching practice, motivation, and collaboration of the incentive pay plan implemented under the Districts Awards for Teacher Excellence (DATE) and an array of independent variables related to the exercise of their profession in their campus. These variables include money awarded by the program, subject and grade taught, and teacher characteristics (experience, certification, demographic data, etc.).
A survey research design was used in the study. The instrument was administered to teachers in elementary and middle schools campuses in the Fort Bend Independent School District, in the metro area of Houston, Texas, where alternative compensation funded by the District Awards for Teacher Excellence (DATE) was implemented. Data collection occurred during May 2010, and the online survey was accessed by 241 teachers. One potential participant did not accept to take part in the study and 22 participants did not answer any instrument’s item, thus leaving the total number of actual respondents to 219.
Factorization techniques were used to confirm the validity and reliability of the instrument. Data analysis was conducted using simultaneous multiple linear regression statistical techniques.
The results of the study showed that the scales developed to measure the perceived impact of compensation on teaching practice, motivation, and collaboration are adequate scientific measurement tools. The results also indicated that the findings concluded from the scales developed should be analyzed with caution. The regression models processed to find the degree of association between predictor variables and the perceived effect of alternative compensation did not show statistical significance in two of the three perception scales measured: teaching practice and collaboration. The regression model processed to find the degree of association between predictor variables and the perceived effect of alternative compensation on motivation showed overall statistical significance. Two independent variables in the model showed a statistically significant degree of relationship with…
Advisors/Committee Members: Pierson, Melissa E. (advisor), Horn, Catherine (committee member), Lee, Mimi (committee member), Radigan, Judy (committee member).

Barrio, J. (2012). TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT HOW AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF COMPENSATION AFFECTED THEIR TEACHING PRACTICE. (Thesis). University of Houston. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10657/805

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Barrio, Juan. “TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT HOW AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF COMPENSATION AFFECTED THEIR TEACHING PRACTICE.” 2012. Thesis, University of Houston. Accessed January 21, 2019.
http://hdl.handle.net/10657/805.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

► The main purpose of this study was to investigate English second language(ESL) teachers' perceptions about learner self-assessment in the secondary school. The study also examined…
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▼ The main purpose of this study was to investigate English
second language(ESL) teachers' perceptions about learner
self-assessment in the secondary school. The study also examined
the factors that might influence the perceptions that teachers hold
about self-assessment. The participants of this study were 163 ESL
teachers who are teaching at secondary schools in Gauteng Province;
they were from 94 randomly selected schools. The data was collected
through questionnaires and the response rate was approximately 53%.
The literature review was utilized to identify the main
perceptions. The studies led to a 57-item teachers' perceptions of
learner self-assessment questionnaire based on the following main
perceptions: the value of self-assessment in the teaching and
learning processes, the use of self-assessment as an alternative
assessment technique in English second language learning, the
accuracy and reliability of self-assessment and the role of
teachers in the effective implementation of self-assessment in
their classrooms. The data for the study were analysed using
quantitative techniques. the findings for the study showed that
teachers have a strong feeling about the value of learner
self-assessment; they showed that it helps in the improvement of
teaching and learning. The results also indicated that teachers
agree that self-assessment should be used in English second
language teaching as an alternative form of assessment as it
enhances learners' linguistic skills. Teachers perceive that they
have an important role to play in ensuring that the implementation
of self-assessment becomes successful in their classrooms. However,
some have indicated that learners are not objective enough when
assessing themselves and therefore the results derived from
self-assessment cannot be reliable and accurate. Teachers'
perceptions correspond with their classroom self-assessment
practice because most of them also indicated that they employ
self-assessment to enhance learners' performance. Majority of
teachers also indicated that factors such as class size,
availability of materials, teacher professional training and
development, formal teacher training, years of experience,
classroom experience with self-assessment, and time available for
self-assessment played a significat role in influencing their
perceptions. The conclusions were drawn from the results and the
recommendations were made for further research. The limitations of
the study were also discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Prof W J Fraser (advisor).

Moloi, L. (2009). Exploring the
perceptions of English second language teachers about learner
self-assessment in the secondary school. (Masters Thesis). University of Pretoria. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27828

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Moloi, Lisemelo. “Exploring the
perceptions of English second language teachers about learner
self-assessment in the secondary school.” 2009. Masters Thesis, University of Pretoria. Accessed January 21, 2019.
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27828.

MLA Handbook (7th Edition):

Moloi, Lisemelo. “Exploring the
perceptions of English second language teachers about learner
self-assessment in the secondary school.” 2009. Web. 21 Jan 2019.

Vancouver:

Moloi L. Exploring the
perceptions of English second language teachers about learner
self-assessment in the secondary school. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. University of Pretoria; 2009. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27828.

Council of Science Editors:

Moloi L. Exploring the
perceptions of English second language teachers about learner
self-assessment in the secondary school. [Masters Thesis]. University of Pretoria; 2009. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27828